Is there a european influence or a simple copy? The production of space in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

When we are looking for urban morphology, we can see different types of architecture through time: typical Portuguese colonial architecture with glazed tiles, constructions inspired by the buildings of Paris such as the Theatro Municipal (inspired by Paris Opera), the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes and the Biblioteca Nacional. there are numerous examples of Art Deco, modernism and postmodernism, too. The mayors of the city sought to attract investments to Rio de Janeiro through international events over the last decade of the twentieth century. Currently, we have many works in the city to host the 2016 Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and Rio +20 in 2012. We aim to analyze the evidence of a new spatiality of the city related to the proposed revitalization of the downtown area, specifically the waterfront area in Rio de Janeiro, which is based on a European model, more specifically Catalan: the "Barcelona model". To realize this aim we have to move in the present to the past and to the future.